Two women who were repeatedly raped and abused by their father over a period of 35 years were given an apology today by local authorities in Lincolnshire and Sheffield for failing to protect them.

The unreserved apology came in the aftermath of the publication of an executive summary of a serious case review by the Lincolnshire and Sheffield safeguarding children boards.

The 57-year-old man, from Sheffield – who cannot be identified – was jailed for life in November 2008 after one of his daughters alleged incest. He repeatedly impregnated the two daughters, and nine children were born. The case has echoes of that of Josef Fritzl, who imprisoned and raped his daughter.

The man admitted 25 rapes and four indecent assaults, with the attacks beginning in 1980 and continuing daily until 2008. Between 1975 and 2008, the family came into contact with 28 different agencies, involving more than 100 professionals.

Chris Cook, the independent chair of the Lincolnshire safeguarding children board, said: "We are genuinely sorry. We should have protected you. This is a tragic and complicated case. The man responsible, who intimidated and frightened his family, was convicted of multiple counts of rape and is serving a life sentence."

Sue Fiennes, the independent chair of the Sheffield safeguarding children board, said: "We want to apologise to the family at the heart of this case. It will be clear that we failed this family. This report will not make comfortable reading for any of the organisations concerned with the family. Lessons are being learned by the agencies involved."

The 39-page executive summary of the serious case review, written by Professor Pat Cantrill and spanning 35 years, found numerous opportunities to intervene "were missed individually and collectively".

Cantrill said a culture of "having a quiet word" contributed to failures to help the family.

"We have got to learn from these serious case reviews," she added. "You are aware, as I am aware, that there are a number of these serious case reviews that happen, and we always don't seem to learn from them. It only really needed one person with tenacity to keep pushing this and pushing this, and we might have had a much earlier recognition and action being taken."

The review made 128 recommendations for improving understanding, practice, procedures and training into intra-familial abuse, including eight national recommendations.

It also recommended improvements in sharing information, record-keeping and support for professionals. All the recommendations have been implemented or are being implemented.

In November, Sheffield crown court heard that the man's campaign of abuse started when the women were aged between eight and 10.

Both daughters were raped repeatedly during their ordeals. Initially they were attacked every day, and for long periods they would be raped two or three times a week. If they refused sex, they would be punched, kicked and sometimes held near the flames of a gas fire, burning their eyes and arms.

The court heard that the defendant, who called himself the "gaffer" when at the family home, took pleasure in fathering children by his daughters and continued to rape them despite problems with their pregnancies.

The daughters would later have to take it in turns to babysit their children while one of them was forced to have sex with him.

In November, Judge Alan Goldsack QC told the court that questions about what professionals had "been doing for the last 20 years" would inevitably be asked.

James Baird, representing the defendant, launched a stinging attack on social services in both Sheffield and Lincolnshire.

"It must be inconceivable to those who have listened to this case that these offences have been carried out, in this day and age, in a so-called civilised society, over such a long time and with such consequences, without them being reported or investigated," he said.

After the case, the women's brother blamed social services for not protecting the family, saying the authorities should have recognised that something was wrong.

"I blame a lot of people," he said. "I blame people that were meant to be looking after children, because we were all meant to be under child protection at five, so I blame the people that should have been doing their jobs looking after us."